Road Trippin'
by HRHLadyEsme
Summary: Fresh out of college and free of the self-enforced restrictions on her social life, Bella and her friends partake in a time honored ritual. ROAD TRIP! Join them as they make their way from NYC to Forks. It's a journey of friendship, love, and summer fun.
1. The Bonfire Part 1

**Bella's POV**

I can't believe it's over. Four years of classes, lectures, papers, and tests. Four years of being away from my family in Forks. Four years of headaches, and cramming all night, and rowdy dorm parties. I can't believe I finally made it. Bella Swan is a college graduate.

Ok, I have to admit, it wasn't all bad.

The first two years were completely focused on not screwing up my scholarship. School was fully paid for as long as I kept my grades up and managed to work in a few extra-curricular activities to obtain a "well rounded" education. I was much better at holding up the "grades" part of the deal than the "extra-curricular" part. No one could mistake me for a social butterfly. I didn't have time for anything that distracted me from my schoolwork and the opportunity that had been given to me. That is, until I met my best friend, Alice.

Alice Cullen's family moved to a penthouse apartment in the heart of New York City at the beginning of our junior year. While I was a journalism and communications major; she was a dance and theater double major. Not exactly what you would normally consider a match made in best friend heaven, but we bonded. She was my roommate, which I could never really understand, since her family lived a couple of miles down the street. SHE was a social butterfly.

Alice taught me that I could work _and_ play. She got me to loosen up some, we went to a few parties, hung out at the movies, went to some shows. _OH MAN _could the woman shop. There are no words to describe the sight of her tiny self tackling the crowds during Black Friday sales. I don't know if I've ever been more scared, yet entertained at the same time in all my life.

She indulged my love of museum tours, bookstores, and live music; she even helped me let my guard down around the ever present college guys. She was a beauty and had a gorgeous, long distance boyfriend who had already graduated. That didn't stop the male population from hanging around, waiting to pick up the pieces if her relationship started to break.

It took a while for me to believe that the guys asking me out were actually interested in me, not just someone to pass the time with until Alice was available (which, trust me, wasn't going to happen). Self esteem and confidence were not a natural part of my personality. Though I wasn't a prude, I wasn't real experienced either. I'd gone on some dates, even had a relationship that lasted a few months. Unfortunately, the relationship had taken a "too far, too fast" turn, and before I knew it I was ashamed of myself, and single. My grades had started to slip at that point too, but I managed to recover. I pulled out a B- average before the end of the year.

Starting out this last year, my senior and most important year, I had a new mission. Graduate in the top 10% of our class, and to mix my fun and my schoolwork to a degree that I was comfortable with, but that Alice wouldn't be depressed about. We still had our play days, but I refused to date. My grades had to come first, and I wasn't ready to let myself get hurt again.

Another thing I loved about Alice was her amazing family. Her parents were the sweetest people and were active, respected members of the community. Her father, Carlisle, was a doctor and was involved with charities on both local and national levels. Her mother, Esme, was one of the most genuinely kind people I had ever met. She was a history professor and quickly became one of the most popular on campus. There was a waiting list for her course.

They accepted me the first time Alice took me to meet them. They made me feel welcome and it helped me not feel quite so homesick. They tried hard to include me in their family functions and it made me feel special to them. The gratitude I felt for them was more than I could ever express. Making them proud was almost as important to me as making my natural family proud.

Overall, I'd had a good year. Some classes were really great, and I'd managed to end up in the top 7%. We had a nice little "outer circle" of friends that were fun to hang with. Alice and I had made plans with a few of them to road trip from New York to my hometown of Forks, Washington this summer. A celebration, a vacation, and a chance to introduce some of my friends to my parents. We were going to take our time and hit some cheesy tourist spots along the way.

I was looking forward to the freedom of the open road. Freedom from school, from responsibility, and from my "no dating" rule. It had been easy enough not to break my rule during the school year, but I _had_ developed feelings for someone. Feelings I hadn't admitted fully to myself until recently, feelings that made me more than a little nervous.

Feelings that involved Alice's brother.

Edward Cullen was a year older than Alice and I. He managed to be in the same graduating class as us since he took a year off between his sophomore and junior years to "find himself." He was going to be a music teacher and used his time traveling around with his best friend, and visiting the stomping grounds of all his favorite composers and performers. He was very serious about his music, but he'd had a lot of fun on his expedition as well. From what I was told after meeting the Cullen family, he'd left a little unsure of himself but come back confident and focused.

He was also an amazing looking man. I mean the drool-at-him-all-day-and-not-even-notice-the-pool-you're-standing-in kind of amazing. More times than I care to admit, I'd imagined what it would feel like to touch him. To put my hands on his bare chest and just breathe in the cool, calm essence of him. What would it be like to have him touch me like that? I had managed to keep out of arms reach of him, more for my own sanity than anything else. If we did touch, it was quick and accidental. Even those brief seconds sent waves of lust through me. I didn't have any problem keeping my "no dating" rule with most guys, but I didn't trust myself around Edward, which was nuts, because he never once gave any impression that he was interested in me. To him, I was simply Alice's best friend. That was both a blessing and a curse.

Edward and I had spent a lot of time together in the last two years, but always with Alice around as well. Alice, who demanded attention in the nicest, most un-obnoxious ways, always kept me occupied so that I didn't noticeably dwell on Edward. But he was always there, joining in conversations, going to the movies. Sometimes he would come to the museums with us, or shopping (yes, can you believe he liked to shop?), or to concerts. He wasn't too much of a party guy, but he made a few appearances and seemed to enjoy himself. He dated some, but he didn't have any long term relationships. And as far as I could tell, he was a gentleman even after he broke things off with someone. No tales of "Edward did me wrong" made their way around campus, and believe me, there were more than a few jerks with a string of those floating. He was an all around nice guy.

I had no idea what Alice would say if she knew how I felt. I'm sure that there was some rule, somewhere, that said _I should not _be thinking R-rated thoughts about my best friend's brother. When I realized that I had feelings for Edward, I kept them to myself, not wanted to make things awkward for anyone. I tried to make myself believe that I was only crushing on him because I had sworn off dating until after graduation. I wanted to believe he was a "safe" object of my temporary infatuation.

Now, right now, in this moment, I knew that wasn't true.

Sitting here, without the buffer of Alice, at a celebratory "end of the school year" bonfire, my infatuation felt anything but temporary. I looked around to find him, to see what he was up to. When I spotted him across the flames, the way he was looking at me was pleasantly surprising, and anything but "safe."

**Edward's POV**

I couldn't help myself. I couldn't take my eyes off of her tonight. Alice knew I had feelings for her best friend. She could read me like a book. But I had no idea if Bella felt anything for me. I understood when Alice told me about her "no dating during senior year" decision. Her education meant everything to her, and I would never do anything to jeopardize our amazing friendship. I had been patient, dating other people and trying to live like any other college guy would; any other guy who wasn't constantly dreaming of running to his sister's dorm room and wrapping his arms around her roommate.

Finally, tonight, we were free from the obligations and restrictions of the last few years. I had to be careful; I couldn't take a chance on spooking her if she wasn't interested. Being subtle was my only shot, but I had to do something. Could she ever see in me the kind of dazzling beauty I saw in her?

I remember the first time I met Bella Swan.

Alice and I spent two days moving her stuff to the campus. It was amazing how much she could cram into half a dorm room. Clothes, shoes, theatre magazines and dance videos were spread everywhere. We were taking a much needed break, pizza in hand, when we heard a loud THUMP in the hallway, followed immediately by a second, only slightly softer THUD. Neither of us was prepared for what was on the other side of that door.

The poor girl was laying on her back with a suitcase the size of a Volkswagen pinning her to the floor. A smaller bag, but still oversized compared to her, was lying next to her head. Before I could get the suitcase hauled upright Alice and I were simultaneously laughing and apologizing for laughing. Fortunately for us, it appeared the girl had been in enough of these types of situations to appreciate the humor in it and not be offended by our reaction. Once we were sure she was ok, we all introduced ourselves.

She was Isabella Swan, "Bella," from Forks, Washington. She would be sharing this room. Alice was thrilled to meet her new roommate and after that first night settling in and talking with the two of them, it looked like Bella had been ensnared by my sister's irresistible charm. They were already talking like they'd known each other forever when I finally made my exit.

Helping Alice move into her dorm had not been what I wanted to do on my first weekend home. Why did she need to live at the school anyway? Our family's apartment was only a few miles away. It was bad enough that I didn't leave myself any time to catch up after months of being away from my family. School was starting and I'd promised my parents if they allowed me to take the year off, I would move in with them and finish my last two years of school in New York. I didn't really mind the trade off; I didn't feel like I was accomplishing much with my college career back in Chicago. I didn't feel like I was accomplishing much of anything back in Chicago.

The time away had started out as an excuse to escape the dullness that had taken over my life and sucked out all my motivation. As far as my parents were concerned, it was a last ditch effort for me to grow up. I was thinking about a career in music, but what kind of career was I looking for? My parents and I devised the excursion to introduce me to as many different forms of life dedicated to music as we could within the confines of the US and the time restraints of a year. The best part was, I got to bring my best friend Emmett along as well. He would be finishing college in Chicago and this was our last chance to really hang out and let loose before becoming "real adults"

As we zigzagged through the country something changed in me. We visited the places that had been touched by some of the most influential composers and performers of the contemporary age. I felt the music come more alive in me, and could feel the drive to create and to share growing more in every town we spent time in. It was like the music I loved was teaching me how use it, how to make it my life. My parents believed in my abilities and had given me this time to learn to believe in myself. It was a gift more incredible that they could have ever imagined.

As much as the experience had changed me that year, Emmett had changed me, too. I'll never get all mushy about it to him, but I owe a big part of my growth into a confident person by watching him just be himself. Years ago, when we first met, he was just fun, I wasn't looking for a bigger picture.

During our trip, I noticed that it wasn't just the playful kid stuck inside a grown person's body that attracted droves of people to Emmett; it was his absolute sureness in himself. He wasn't obnoxious; okay, he could be obnoxious; but it was a choice when it happened, not a natural occurrence. He just _knew_ what he wanted, what he could get if he just made the effort. Whether it was winning a baseball game with the guys, or winning over the nearest beautiful blonde, he could just _do it_. I studied Emmett as much as I studied music. I wasn't nearly as cocky as he could be, but I had learned to let my desire for something fuel my efforts. With the right motivation, I found myself much more in control of my life.

What I desired was Bella. I'd wanted her the first time I saw her, and I hadn't stopped wanting her since. The first year I kept my feelings to myself. I had to prove to my parents that I had changed. My junior year was focused on repairing the damage I'd created to my GPA in Chicago. I was determined to thank my parents for their belief and trust in me by becoming the man they always knew I could be. The man I had to be for Bella, and for myself.

At the beginning of our senior year, I talked to Alice about my feelings for Bella. As much as I wanted Bella, I couldn't bring myself to hurt Alice by breaking some "sacred girl rule" about dating your sister's best friend to get to her. Alice said she'd already guessed about my feelings, and to be honest, I wasn't surprised. What she told me then almost made me cry. Bella was dedicating herself to her studies this year. No dating. Damn.

I understood, of course; I had done the same thing myself, but I was heartbroken. Promising Alice I wouldn't make any move towards a relationship with Bella during this year was hard, but I kept my word. No yearning looks, no lingering touches. But I couldn't stop myself from "accidentally" brushing her hand as we passed through rooms, or "accidentally" leaning into her when we reached for something at the same time. Not to mention the times when I had to catch her from falling down or running into various things. It was almost shameful how much I craved those little moments when I could feel her warm skin against mine. How would she feel pressed against me in the kind of embrace I dreamed of every night, with her arms around me and her brown eyes staring into mine? The thought of that much contact with her sent shocks of electricity through me.

Two years of waiting. Two years of getting to know her, and laughing with her. Two years of wanting to touch her but knowing I shouldn't push the limits of her rules for herself. Two years of memories that I shared not only with my little sister, who was among my favorite people in the world, but with her shy, klutzy, smart and beautiful friend. Two years of waiting to find out if I even had a chance with her. Alice would never tell me if Bella had mentioned me in that way. I knew better. Even if she had, Alice would never betray a friend's confidence like that.

So here I sat. Looking at the most amazing girl I knew across a roaring bonfire, surrounded by crazy people having more fun than was probably legal. My stomach was in knots but the hope of what could be was too strong for me to feel less than ecstatic. The relief that came with graduation, and the confidence I'd felt after a very successful job interview earlier in the day had me flying. I looked at Bella and tried to decide how to show her how I felt without jumping her. Scaring away the girl of my dreams was _not _the object of the evening. Tonight I just needed to know if she felt anything for me at all. Just a glimmer of a "maybe" was all I needed right now. I could move slowly, I could be patient again if it's what she needed. I didn't want to make a fool of myself, but I had to know.

She was talking to other friends and carelessly fiddling with her shoelaces as she sat cross legged on the ground. I could watch that radiant smile all day and all night. And then, she turned towards me. I wasn't prepared for that. I usually keep my feelings pulled in when I look at her, just in case she could read me like Alice. With no time to wipe the emotion away, the determination to show her how I felt was written all over my face.

I stared into her sparkling eyes. She took a startled breath and I worried that I'd been wrong, that there was no chance she was interested in me as more than a good friend. Then the look on her face changed from random curiosity to something else. Something that looked surprisingly like what I'm sure my face looked like. I'd take that as my "maybe" and pray I wasn't wrong. Thoughts were instantly whirling in my head. Imagining her touch, her warm soft body in my arms and my lips on hers. I couldn't stop the feeling of pure desire that spread through me. That desire had to be showing in my face now.

Bella's blush was a beautiful shade of crimson, but she didn't look away.


	2. The Bonfire Part 2

Bella's POV

That look.

How could my Edward be looking at me with that look? Wait, "my Edward?" Aren't I getting a little ahead of myself? Just because I want him doesn't make him mine. Maybe he was drunk. I had been distracted, and there was a lot of alcohol around. Yeah, that was it. He didn't know what he was doing, or rather, what he was doing to me. My insides were all fluttery and my palms were starting to sweat. God, what I wouldn't give to have him look at me like that and mean it.

"Just look away Bella," I told myself. I turned back to Angela and Ben. There, fluttering stopped.

"I can't believe Alice isn't here tonight. I know her audition is important, but it's not until later in the day tomorrow. She'd have plenty of time to hang out tonight and rest up before she has to perform. We're never going to see some of these people again." Angela was starting to get that mushy, end-of-the-year wistfulness sound to her voice. She and Ben, her boyfriend, were two of our closest friends.

"It's ok Ang, Alice already talked to almost everyone she wanted to. Besides, she really wants to make a good impression on the theatre directors tomorrow," I said. I had to admit though, I kind of agreed with Angela. Alice could absolutely pull off being here tonight and still completely blow them away tomorrow.

I couldn't quite understand why she chose to stay home. I guess I was being selfish. I had gotten better at being comfortable in social scenes, especially with Angela and Ben around, but I still felt a little unsure without Alice as a point of reference. I had agreed to come before Alice announced she wasn't. She convinced me to show up and have a good time with Angela, Ben and Edward without her. I guess this was a graduation of sorts for me as well. Alice's little fledgling socialite taking her first steps without her mentor. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. So far, so good, I guess.

"So when and where are we meeting to finalize trip plans? I have to work tomorrow, but Sunday would be fine," Ben asked.

"Sunday works for me," I said. "I think Alice will be free too. How about you, Angela?"

"Sunday's good for me," she agreed.

"What are we doing Sunday?" It was Edward's silky voice coming from directly behind me. I can't believe I didn't hear him get that close. Suddenly every nerve in my body was tingling.

"Finalizing road trip plans" Ben piped up. "We've got to make final decisions on our choices for places to stop and make sure we can get hotel reservations. I can't believe we've only got a week to finish making all the arrangements. I still wish you were coming with us, man, I'm going to be smothered in estrogen before we make it to Jasper in Chicago."

"Yeah, I'd love to come with you guys, but I've had my tour through the country, now it's time to put my college education to use," Edward said. "Besides, you're going to eat up being the only guy with three women in every place you stop. You know you're going to look like a stud and you love it!" He was right, the silly grin on Ben's face proved it. "Just as long as you remember that only one of them is yours, the other two are mine, and you'd better be a gentleman."

Did he just refer to me as "his?" He meant his the way Alice was his, like a sister, of course. Why couldn't I keep myself from overreacting tonight. Maybe it was the combination of no Alice and Edward leaning so close to me, but I just couldn't seem to keep my heart from pounding in my chest. He'd called me his. Even though it was meant sisterly, my body reacted like I belonged to him in a completely non-sisterly fashion. I had to get a grip before I embarrassed myself.

I turned slightly so I could see him behind me. He was crouched down on one knee, leaning into the back of the bench I was sitting on the ground in front of. He'd leaned over just enough so that if he moved his hand to the right a bit he could rest it on my shoulder. The idea of his hand on my shoulder, his fingers rubbing lightly on my neck was enough to make me catch my breath. This had to stop. I had to control myself.

"Ben will be a perfect gentleman, as always, Edward. You know that," I retorted.

"I know he will," Edward bit back. "I was just reminding him how lucky he was. If I didn't have the workshop this summer, I'd be going with you, and I could be a stud too. As much as I'm looking forward to this opportunity, I'm sorry I'm going to miss spending this summer with you."

He meant all of us. Not just me. He meant this time with Angela, Ben, Alice, Jasper and me. Of course that's what he meant. Looking into those incredible emerald eyes of his, I had a vision of us, just the two of us, making our way through the country and thoroughly enjoying each other along the way.

Space. I need space between me and Edward. "I'm heading for some food, anyone want anything?"

I stood up and almost immediately started to fall. My feet had fallen asleep and the pins and needles were stretching all the way up to my thighs. Fortunately, Edward was accustomed to my ongoing battle with gravity and was in a position to catch me before I actually made it too far back down. Catching me stopped me from folding myself over the bench in a painful, bruising way, but it left me clinging to his shoulders with his arms around my waist. The sensation of him holding me like this made my whole body shudder and I was overwhelmed. My legs gave out completely from under me.

He set me down gently on the bench and let go of my waist. I couldn't help but notice he seemed a little reluctant to move his hands away completely, like he was afraid I couldn't stay upright on the bench either. "Damned pins and needles," I said shakily, totally blaming my weak knees on the pains in my feet instead of the closeness of Edward's body to mine. "I shouldn't have tried to stand so fast, I should have known my feet would be asleep. Thanks for catching me, Edward, yet again."

"Trust me," he said with a gleam in his eye I'm not sure I'd ever seen from him before, "it was my pleasure. You want me to go get you some food?"

"I would love a burger if you can find one. You know how to fix it for me, and a coke, if you don't mind. Thanks."

"Anything for you two?" Edward asked, looking at Ben and Angela.

"No thanks, I think we're about to head out anyway," Ben spoke for them both. "I have to be at work early and Angela's still trying to influence my city choices, so we're going to negotiate a little before bed."

"'Negotiate,' is that what you're calling it now?" I laughed and looked at Angela.

She had the decency to blush before she replied, "I don't have much time left, so I have to be as 'persuasive' as I can if I want to see all the sights. I can't just pick 3 cities, I want to see everything." As Angela emphasized he word "persuasive, " Ben's face lit up a brilliant shade of red and the silly grin returned to his face. He was such a goner. He'd go anywhere Angela asked him to go, and follow along contently. I loved seeing them like this. They were just perfect together.

"Ok, no need to go into details," Edward smiled as he stepped back, raising his hands to stop any further discussion about "negotiating." "Will you two hang around until I get back with food? I don't think I can leave Bella alone."

"I'll be just fine, Mr. Cullen," I sneered. "I don't need any babysitters." I tried to look menacing, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face, so I'm sure I just looked pathetic.

"Sure you don't, Miss Swan, but I'd like you in one piece when I get back, so you can look at them like bodyguards instead of babysitters, but I'd appreciate it if they stayed just a few more minutes." Edward snickered at the look on my face as I watched Angela and Ben giggle in agreement. They'd stick around until he got back with food to make to sure I didn't endanger myself. I couldn't tell them that I'd be fine with Edward far enough away that I could keep my head straight. So I sat there with my friends/bodyguards/babysitters and finished making plans to meet on Sunday.

Edward's POV

I was escaping. I knew that's what it was, but it was the safest thing to do right now. The farther from Bella I could get right now, the less a chance there was that I'd go too far. I don't know what came over me. I was being a little more forward than I had intended, but so far she wasn't running away from me, or looking at me like I was some crazy stalker.

I wonder if she noticed that I'd claimed her as mine. It wasn't the obvious kind of claim like living together or a ring, but something to break the ice. It was a first attempt at saying out loud what I felt, and she hadn't rebuked me.

And when I said I would miss spending the summer with her, she had kept eye contact. She didn't look down or away like she usually did when were talking. Then again, Alice was usually there to take the majority of the attention. That was fine, neither Bella nor I particularly cared for the spotlight. Though, unfortunately it didn't leave very many opportunities for direct conversation. This time she looked right into my eyes as I said what I felt, and again she didn't look away. Whether I should or not, I was collecting these moments into a "maybe" pile for the night.

The bonfire had been a nice way to end the year, but the party was starting to die down. The fire was still going, but it wasn't the raging inferno it had been. The music was still playing, but not quite so many people were dancing.

There was no one waiting when I made my way up to the food table. I took two burgers from the person sitting there and immediately started to add the fixings. Mayo, mustard, ketchup, and pickles for mine. The same for Bella's except for the mustard. I'd made the mistake of forgetting Bella's disdain for mustard once. If the sight of her spewing sandwich all over the kitchen table hadn't been enough to keep me from doing it ever again, the mock look of betrayal in her eyes surely did the trick. She looked like I'd tried to poison her. Thankfully, I'd been forgiven, but the memory made me laugh. I'd never forgotten about the mustard again. I found us some drinks and headed back to the benches.

Walking back towards the little huddle of Bella with Angela and Ben, I started thinking about how positive tonight had been. All I'd hoped for was a small sign that just maybe she was interested in me as more than friends, and if I was reading her right, I'd gotten my maybe. I was thrilled, and then I started to panic.

What if what I was considering "maybe" moments were not that? What if Bella was just comfortable with me, and was enjoying the relaxing night? What if she didn't realize I was making mental notes of her eyes and her body language during our conversation? I decided I had to push, just a little, to make sure I wasn't making a mistake. Not enough to blatantly cross the line; just enough to find out how she would react to me behaving a little less like "friend Edward" and a little more like "man Edward." I just had to think of a way to do that without being obvious.

Angela and Ben were standing up by the time I sat down next to Bella on the bench. I handed her the plate and drink before thanking them for waiting for me to get back.

"No problem," Angela smiled. "We'd like to keep her in one piece too. We'll see you on Sunday, Bella, and probably you too, Edward. We're all going to meet at your house to finish planning."

"Fine by me, maybe Ben and I can shoot a little pool while you girls finalize everything, since I'm sure your 'negotiating' will have succeeded and you'll be the one picking his cities anyway." I was sure by the look on Ben's face this would be the case, and besides, we hadn't gotten to shoot much in the last few weeks. It would be fun; he could actually give me a run for my money sometimes.

They both hugged each of us and walked away.

Bella picked up her burger and started to devour it. We didn't really talk while we ate, just chewed, and took turns glancing at each other. I could feel her eyes on me when I wasn't looking, then just as I looked up at her, she looked away.

It was like one of those cheesy romantic comedies where the two leads are trying to steal adoring looks at each other without the other one knowing. Is that what we were doing? It seemed too surreal. But we just couldn't seem to stop the "look-then-look-away" game we'd unintentionally started. It was comical and frustrating as the same time.

"Thank you so much… that was amazing. I think my stomach is singing," Bella said as she finished the last bite. "How much longer did you want to stay here tonight? It looks like the party's starting to die down." She'd noticed, too. I didn't want to leave before I'd had a chance to try for another "maybe" moment, but I couldn't exactly tell her that's what I was doing. How was I going to get her to stay with me?

Just then my chance appeared. The music changed and the small group of people who had been dancing near the bonfire started to pair up. I'd never slow danced with Bella before. We'd danced like crazy fools at some of the local clubs and a few campus parties, but never with my arms around her and the music gently moving our bodies. This was it; this was the next step I needed to take to see if I could ever be someone she looked at as a lover instead of a friend. Wow. Lover. Where did that come from? My brain was working too far into the future. One dance, that's all I needed tonight; just one dance.

"Bella?" I stood up next to her and held out my hand. My heart was literally thumping in my chest and I could feel the blood racing through my veins. "Would you dance with me?"

She looked up at me like I'd just been dropped off by some alien spacecraft and was speaking a different language. "I don't dance Edward; you've already pointed out tonight that I can barely stand without incident. What makes you think I could dance?"

My thumping heart started to falter just a bit. She was worried about falling down or embarrassing herself; not about me being her partner, I told myself. I looked into her worried eyes and purposefully filled mine with all that determination I'd had earlier in the evening. That determination to show her how I felt about her. The same determination that she seemed to accept from me once tonight. I hoped she would accept it again.

"Bella, I swear I won't let you fall, you'll be safe with me. This is a celebration and I'd like to dance with you just once before we leave. Please." I practically begged her; I just needed to have her in my arms once more tonight.

She hesitated and I thought about dropping my hand. Maybe I'd been wrong after all. What was I doing risking the last two years of friendship on this? It would be enough that she trusted me to be her friend. That was a gift I would treasure no matter what.

"Ok, Edward," she said almost too quiet for me to hear over the music. "One dance. If you let me fall I'll never forgive you." The change in her face was breathtaking. The worried look on her face disappeared and what replaced it literally took my breath away. It was the look that I thought had mirrored mine earlier. The look that had given me my first hope.

Bella's POV

A dance with Edward's arms around me. With our bodies melding into each other. What was I thinking? There was no way I was going to make it though this. Yes. Yes, I would make it through this. I was going to trust him to not let me fall, and I was going to let myself finally enjoy touching him.

I almost felt bad, like I was taking advantage of his offer so I could grope him, but I couldn't shake that look he had in his eyes. It was the same look I'd seen through the flames of the bonfire earlier tonight. I smiled, how appropriate, because one word to describe that look was "hot." He looked at me like he could set me on fire and I would enjoy every sweet second of it.

I was beginning to think that that look was intentional. That was so _not_ a "just friends" look. Edward had never tried to be more than my friend before, but then, I wasn't looking for more than a friend before. Maybe now that I was open, eager, even, he could really be that man for me. Not just a wonderful fantasy, but a real partner. I was getting ahead of myself again, this was just a dance. One step at a time.

I stood and took his hand. Just that one touch sent shocks of electricity through me. So much for one step at a time. In my head we were already naked and sweaty. I couldn't help the blush that I knew had suddenly crept into my face, and I couldn't look away from his eyes as he led me closer to the fire.

"Bella, I don't know what you just thought about, and I won't try to get it out of you tonight, but you're going to have to tell me some day. I don't think I've ever seen that color on you before." Edward sounded like a gentleman, but the look in his eyes changed just a little. Almost like he could guess exactly what I was thinking. God, I hoped not. I was, again, profoundly thankful that Edward couldn't read my mind.

He stopped us and pulled the hand that was holding mine to his chest, pressing it there, flat against his heart. He slid his other hand down around my waist and without even thinking I moved closer. I reached my free hand up to his shoulder. He pulled me in even tighter. I could feel myself mold into the front of his body. It was sensory overload. Every single part of my body was aching to climb into him.

I hadn't even noticed that Edward was moving us. He'd turned our two bodies into one fluid body. It was amazing. He didn't seem to be making any extra effort at all, it was as if the music had taken over and we were just floating in it.

It wasn't until he leaned down and whispered "breathe, Bella," into my ear that I realized I had stopped. He'd literally taken my breath away. Once I was breathing again, I noticed the heartbeat under our joined hands on his chest. I'd thought that racing pulse was mine, but now that I was concentrating so hard on keeping myself calm, I knew it wasn't me.

Could this be? Could he be feeling what I'm feeling? Even just a fraction of it? Now that I was focused on it, there was no denying the pounding in his chest. I could feel it hammering away underneath my touch. I looked up at him again. His brilliant green eyes were sparkling and he was smiling like he was looking at the best thing he'd ever seen.

This didn't make sense; he'd never looked at me like that before. But then, we'd never danced quite like this before. We'd never touched like this before. He was acting like he wanted me. Could he possibly want me like I wanted him? Was he trying to give me signs? Is that what all the little moments tonight had been?

Was I making too much of this? I couldn't be sure. I wanted to be sure. I wanted to encourage him, if that was what was happening, but I didn't want to freak him out if I was wrong.

I kept looking at him while I slid my hand from lightly resting on his shoulder to the base of his neck. Letting my fingers barely touch the bare skin on the back of his neck, I watched for any kind of emotion in his face. I knew what I would feel if he did that to me and was hoping for the same kind of response from him.

His eyes flared brighter than I'd known was possible, and I heard his breath hitch for just a second. I'd take that as a good sign.

After a few seconds to round up a little more courage, I started to slide my hand up the back of his neck and back down. Just barely touching, nothing too obvious. I swear his eyes glassed over for just a split second before he started caressing the small of my back with the hand that had been holding my waist, with the same slight pressure I was using on his neck. It felt amazing. This was definitely a good sign.

Before I could even think; my hand went up further on his neck until it was buried in his beautiful, almost bronze colored hair. My fingers played with the texture of it for just a moment, and then my hand was still again, resting in its new favorite place, the curve where his neck and shoulder met.

He closed his eyes and I felt his hand open wide and move slowly from my waist up the middle of my back. It was wonderful. There was a heat following his hand that seeped into my bones. He pressed my upper body to his chest and held me there. I closed my eyes and settled my head against him, turning my face so I could hear, and feel, his heartbeat. It matched mine. Completely out of control.

When the song ended I wanted to cry. I stood there, in Edward's arms, thinking about how much had changed for me in those brief few minutes. I'd always known that I wanted him. I knew the effect he had on me, but it was a distant dream. A fantasy.

In the time it took for one song to play, one dance changed everything. Edward was more than a friend, and I'm certain he felt it too. He started to loosen his hold on me and my body began suffering from immediate withdrawals.

My eyes were still closed when he leaned down and gently kissed the top of my head. "Thank you," he whispered, and took a step away from me. "Are you ready to go home now?"

I opened my eyes and nodded, not trusting myself to produce a clear voice yet.

Edward had promised me that he wouldn't let me fall. Well, I might still be upright, but I had most definitely fallen.


	3. Paper & Mustard Sandwiches

_**~AN~**_

Thank you, thank you, thank you... to crazedcullen and FandomUnited who left me reviews last chapter. I really appreciate it. :-)

Thanks to my editor, friend, tulak and fanfiction soulmate, Vonnie, love ya! And to my spec-freakin-tacular beta, LeechLover85, for all her hard work keeping my commas and quotation marks in the right spots. I'm working on Chapter 5... I promise. You're the bestestest.

Disclaimer: I own the Twilight Soundtrack, hard cover copies of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, and a really cool Twilight logo sticker for my car. All the characters and the orginal story belong to the Queen of the Universe, Stephenie Meyer**_._**

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**Bella POV**

"Oh, my…" Edward's warm kisses trailed down my neck and started across my collarbone. The length of his body pressed me into the mattress as I wrapped my legs around him. "Edward, I need you… _please_." Using one hand, I pulled his hungry mouth up to mine. The nails on my other hand dug into his shoulder through his shirt. I could feel every muscle, every hard ridge of him as we moved against each other.

"What do you need, Bella? What do you want? You have to tell me," Edward breathed softly into my ear.

I could do one better, I thought, as I reached both my hands down and grabbed the most perfect ass known to the human race. I pressed myself up hard against him and even through his jeans, I could feel how ready he was for me.

"Holy hell, woman, are you trying to kill me? You feel _so_ good." He said as he slid his hand under my shirt and …

BBBRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG

BBBRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG

BBBRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG

I jumped what had to be six inches up off the bed in sheer shock. Unfortunately, I awoke the same way I'd fallen to sleep, alone.

Who in the world would dare call during the most amazingly realistic dream I'd ever had in my life? The combination of the memory of the dream, and the surprise of the phone ringing left me breathless. I let the machine answer it.

"Bella…? Bella...? I know you're there… wake up, wake up, wake up! I'll be there in 30 minutes to pick you up and I don't want to have to roll you out of bed when I get there. I've got a surprise… wake up!" Alice sounded entirely too cheerful for whatever way-to-early hour it must be.

I rolled over to look at the clock. Almost 9:30. Ok, I guess it wasn't too early for her to sound cheerful. But that didn't change the fact that I would never forgive her for interrupting my dream. The feel of Edward's strong body against mine lingered in my subconscious.

Forget Alice's surprise, I wanted to go back to sleep and finish that delicious scene. I laid there for the next ten minutes willing myself back into a dream state, but it just didn't happen. Oh well, maybe we could pick up where we left off tonight. With a wishful smirk on my face, I crawled out of bed.

Showered and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, I waited for Alice to show up. She hadn't been in the dorm when Edward walked me home last night, so I guess she'd spent the night at their parents' place.

When Edward walked me home; last night. My stomach filled with a warm fuzzy feeling just thinking about the bonfire.

After our dance, Edward walked me up to my dorm room. I thought for sure I felt his fingers softly resting at the small of my back as I turned to unlock the door, but his hand was in his pocket when I turned back around, so I must have imagined it. I was hoping for a goodnight hug or maybe a little kiss, but he didn't make a move, so I didn't either.

Moves or not, I knew something had happened between us. Things were different now. _How_ different was something we'd have to figure out. I just wish I knew how to act around him.

Should I pretend nothing has changed unless he does something first? Should I just start a conversation, "Hey Edward, I noticed we were both pretty happy to be each other's arms last night. Wanna go somewhere and do it?" Aside from sounding like a horny teenager, I think I would send my poor Edward into shock if something like that fell out of my mouth. I smiled. My wet dreams are probably best kept to myself at this point.

Wait and see, that's all there is to do. Spending the day at the Cullen's house, we're bound to run in to each other at some point. I just hope I don't hyperventilate or something as equally mortifying when it happens.

After hunting up a bowl of cereal for breakfast, I waited for Alice. She pranced through the door just as I was finishing. I'd been so busy worrying about my potentially awkward Edward moments that I hadn't given any thought to her surprise. She was positively glowing! It's been months since Jasper was here, so… no, I don't think she's pregnant. She's already rich, so she didn't win the lotto either.

"Bella!" She squealed as she practically assaulted me at the island in the kitchen, "You're never going to guess what happened last night! Oh, and I'm sorry for bailing on the bonfire. I hope you had a good time. Ben and Angela were there, right? You didn't stay by yourself all night, did you? Was Edward nice? He said you guys talked some towards the end of the night, and something about a dance. Did you dance with Edward? OH MY GOSH wait until you hear why I didn't go!" She was speaking English, but if she talked any faster, I was going to need subtitles.

"Just calm down, little sprite, breathe first, talk second." I had to put my hands on her shoulders to stop her from bouncing in front of me. There were only two things I could think of that could make her behave this way. Since I knew for a fact there was no blowout sale happening at Macy's this weekend that left just one option.

"Jasper's here!" She practically blew out my eardrums with the high pitch squeal. The last time her boyfriend had been in New York was for Spring Break, and only for a short visit. Their relationship was stronger, even long distance, than a lot of couples who've been married for years. They got together in high school in Chicago and never looked back. This was a forever thing for them, and no one questioned it.

"He came in yesterday afternoon, he had a dinner-slash-meeting with a curator for the Met, but we got to spend time together last night. He's got another meeting this afternoon, and then he's free for the rest of the weekend! And the best part, although I don't have any real proof just yet, is that right now I think he's talking to mom and dad. You know, THE TALK!" She was so excited and it just oozed out of her into me. I couldn't help feel excited for her. There was no question in anyone's mind, including her parents,' that she would marry Jasper one day. But he was just the kind of proper gentleman that would be asking for her hand from her father anyway.

"Oh, Alice, I'm so happy for you!" I hugged my best friend. "Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, what makes you think he's talking to them about that right now? I'd hate to see you get all worked up over a misunderstanding. We both know you two will get married someday, but what makes you think he's doing this now?"

"First, he didn't try to sneak into my room last night," Alice started.

I made a strange face and asked, "Ok, I'm confused. How does that make you think he's talking to your parents about marriage?"

"I asked him this morning why he didn't come to me last night, and he said 'I couldn't take a chance on us getting caught this time.'" She imitated Jasper's smooth Texan accent perfectly. He hadn't been able to shake it during the last few years living in Chicago.

"At first I thought that was an odd thing for him to say, considering we'd only ever been caught sneaking into each other's rooms once. Even then we were just laying there kissing, so my parent's didn't freak out too bad." Alice continued "but then, after breakfast, he couldn't seem to get me out of the house fast enough. At first I was a little upset, but he just said he had some important things to take care of this morning, and we should go shopping for new dresses. He wants to take us all out to dinner tomorrow night. He said I should look for something _sparkly_."

The more she talked, the more she smiled. By the end of her last sentence I thought her smile was going to come right off her face and dance around of its own accord. She was positively beaming. I couldn't blame her; I had to agree with all her reasons. If I was her, I'd be thinking the same thing. I just hope Jasper doesn't unknowingly disappoint her.

"Well, I suppose that we, that is, the future Mrs. Whitlock and I, have some shopping to do." I winked at her and she started to tear up just a bit. I didn't usually agree so easily to a shopping trip, but this was a special occasion and there was no way I was going to deny Alice anything right now.

"Your audition is at 4, right? How do you feel about it? Are you nervous?" I asked, hoping she hadn't gotten all wrapped up and forgotten any of the details. She's worked so hard for this opportunity.

"Yeah, 4 o'clock, and I already have my dance clothes in the car. The piece I chose is one I've been doing for a while, so I'm not nervous. Quite frankly, right now, I feel like I could do anything."

"Those people aren't gonna know what hit 'em. You'll blow them away, I just know it. Ok, let's get out of here. We could be gone a while if we're specifically looking for a 'sparkly' dinner dress." Walking away from the stool at the island, I headed for the bedroom to put on my shoes and grab my purse.

"I called Angela on the way over here. She's going to meet us downstairs." Alice spoke so that I could hear her through the bedroom wall, "When Jasper said he's taking us to dinner, he meant _all_ of us."

"Well, now, that's awful nice of our friend Jasper," I was surprised. Jasper made a decent amount of money working at a small museum, but not enough to spend on lavish dinners. Not having the money is part of why he didn't visit Alice as often as either of them would have liked. "Did he get a raise?"

"I think I'll let him tell you all about it at dinner," Alice responded.

That sounded like some form of yes, but I could wait for Jasper to share his good news. That would be another reason for him to decide to talk to the Cullen's now about marrying Alice. If he got a raise, then he would feel better about being able to support a wife.

There was still the question of where they would live. His life is in Chicago and Alice's dream is to perform here in New York City. I suppose it would be easier for him to move here than the other way around, but who knows. That's something they'll have to work out. Right now is happy time.

"Oh," I remembered, locking the door and following Alice down the hall, "Ben and Angela are coming over tomorrow afternoon to finalize trip stuff. I didn't think you had anything going on, so I volunteered your place. Now that Jasper's here, should I have them come to the dorm instead?"

"No, that's perfect, actually. We can talk trip early, then we'll all be there when it's time to get ready for dinner. We'll just have to ask them to come over a little earlier in the day so we have plenty of time," Alice suggested. "I can't believe we'll be heading out in a week! We're going to have so much fun!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Three hours, three stunning dresses, and three manicures later, we headed for the Cullen's apartment home downtown. Angela was just as excited as Alice was about what we all hoped was an impending proposal. One that would be heartily accepted; of course. I was excited too, but a little part of me still worried that Jasper didn't realize what Alice was expecting.

She was in "calm Alice mode" when we arrived at her parent's place. This would be my temporary home for a few days this week. We had to move our things out of the dorm now that the school year was over. Alice and I had agreed to get an apartment after the trip was finished. It made no sense to get one now and then be gone for two and a half months. We'd roped Edward, Ben, and a couple of other friends into helping us move on Monday.

I and what few belongings I had from the dorm would be staying in the unfinished guest bedroom. The bed that was currently occupying the room will be pushed against the wall, and the rest of the space will be filled with my computer, stereo, two bookshelves, my reading chair, and the boxes containing my clothes and small personal items.

It was about 1:30 when we arrived at Alice's house. It was crazy for me to be feeling so anxious. This was still just Edward. We'd been around each other for the last two years without any kind of anxiety, today shouldn't be any different. But it was. Never mind the butterflies; it felt like a herd of elephants was doing laps in my stomach.

"Are you ok, Bella?" Alice asked me as she opened their front door. I could only imagine how bad my face must have looked like to break her out of her jubilant haze.

"Yeah, I'm good, just a little anxious for you, that's all." I hoped she'd buy that and not push for anything more. She wrinkled up her face a bit. Uh oh, she didn't buy it. "Are you sure? I'm going to be fine, better than fine, but you look like you could throw up at any moment."

"I'm sure. Thanks. Maybe I just need to eat something. My stomach is feeling a little queasy." There, that was the truth. This was insane, "think calm, think calm," I told myself.

We carried the bags of dresses in through the foyer and living room. I loved the Cullen's home. It was open and light with lots of windows. It felt more like a house than a high-rise apartment, but no house in the city could boast this kind of view. I couldn't even imagine what kind of money it took to live here.

Alice's bedroom was at the end of a long hallway. We trekked back there to stow the dresses in her closet (which was the size of our dorm room, by the way) and headed back out to the living room. There didn't appear to be anyone else home. I wasn't sure if I was more relieved or saddened by Edward's absence. Alice called Jasper and he said he and her parents were at lunch, but they'd be back in time to wish her luck before heading out to her audition. With a window of testosterone-free time, we decided to make some lunch and watch a girlie movie.

"I'll make some sandwiches, you two pick a movie," I said as I headed to the kitchen. I'd already seen all the movies Alice had. Our tastes were so similar that anything they chose would be fine. I was standing in the doorway of the pantry, looking for bread, completely absorbed in a delightful daydream that was remarkably similar to my actual dream from the night before, when I felt something. It was like some kind of static electric force field was pressing up against my back. All my nerve endings were tingling and a shiver went right down my spine.

"Good afternoon, Bella. How was your morning?" Edward asked softly. He was standing directly behind me. I should have known. There was only one reason my body would be acting like that. All he'd done was ask me a question and I could feel warmth in places that hadn't had any action in quite a long time. This was going to be a very long few hours.

"It was fun," I replied, not turning to face him just yet, "you know shopping with Alice is always entertaining."

He hadn't backed away from me. I loved the way my body was so drawn to his. All I wanted to do was lean back into him and let him wrap his arms around me. With my luck, I'd lean back just as he stepped away and I'd fall on my butt. I had to make some room between us. What was he doing standing so close to me anyway? Not that I minded, but it was not something I was used to from him.

"Did you need something from in here?" Starting to turn around, I offered, "Just tell me what you're loo…" My voice drifted off because, before I made a complete turn, I noticed he was standing behind me in my very favorite pair of his jeans and no shirt. He'd obviously just gotten out of the shower because his hair was still slightly wet and he smelled like whatever soap he'd used to wash with. I couldn't speak. Need. To. Sit. Down.

Alice and Angela were coming into the kitchen as I grabbed the bread off the pantry shelf. Edward backed away and went to sit at the bar, facing me at the counter. I could still see his bare chest above the countertop. That was a beautiful specimen of a man if ever there was one. He wasn't overly bulked up, but he had a very nice, broad chest. He worked out some so there was no flab. He was perfect and I had a hard time forcing myself to stop grinning like a fool.

It would be too uncomfortable to sit down and make sandwiches, so I just leaned against the counter and tried to focus on having a coherent conversation.

"What movie did you guys decide on?" Distracting myself from a smiling Edward, I asked about the movie and started laying out the bread. "And how many hams and how many turkeys am I making?" I'd pulled both kinds of meat from the refrigerator. Alice and Angela both answered "ham" the same time Edward said "turkey."

"We decided on Mansfield Park." Angela said. "We're in a Jane Austen kind of mood today."

Inwardly I laughed at their choice of movie, considering how I was feeling right now. I looked up from the mayo and mustard duty to see Edward staring directly into my eyes. He was watching me, and being very obvious about it. It thrilled me and scared me to death at the same time.

"Edward, do you want to watch the movie with us?" Alice asked. Her voice had a strange suggestive tone to it that made it almost sound like she was asking him something else entirely.

"I'd love to, Alice, thanks for asking." He replied in the same tone. His eyes never left mine, but his smile changed just a bit from a normal "happy to see you" smile, to something else. Something that made my palms start sweating and the elephants start running laps again.

Ok, this was getting weird. It was as though they were having a completely different conversation right in front of Angela and I. One that had nothing to do with the movie. Looking back down at what I was doing, I finished putting the meats on the bread and asked who wanted cheese. As I looked up for responses, I caught a glimpse of a wide-eyed Alice and Edward nodding to each other. What in the world was that all about?

I was getting more and more flustered by the minute. Not only was Edward looking scrumptious, but he was looking at me like _I_ was scrumptious. Finished adding the cheese, I started to close up the sandwiches, but stopped when Alice started to giggle and call my name.

"Bella, Bella stop," she laughed. Angela and Edward were laughing now, too. What was so funny?

Edward got up and came around the counter. He stood directly next to me and started to open up the sandwiches I'd closed. Not only had I put mustard on every piece of bread (which would have been awful for me to bite into) but I had put the deli papers that come between the slices of cheese on half the sandwiches and the cheese slices were in the small garbage can next to the counter. Oh good Lord.

I could feel my face turning a very dark shade of red. Normally I would have just laughed it off as another "Bella Moment," but Alice looked at me just then with a wicked gleam in her eye. It caught me off guard and before I knew it she was standing on the other side of me behind the counter. She quickly removed the papers from the sandwiches I'd messed up, picked up hers and Angela's and the two of them started walking out of the kitchen.

Before they made it through the doorway, she turned back and said to Edward, "Will you just kiss her already before she does some real damage? We'll be in the living room when you're done." And she was gone.

Oh. My.

I had absolutely nothing to say. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Stunned didn't even begin to cover what I was feeling. It was like I was standing there forever, the passage of time was just non-existent. Edward shifted slightly next to me. That small movement was enough to snap me back into reality. He reached up to my chin and lifted my face to his. Those eyes! I thought I'd seen his eyes sparkle last night, but there was something almost magical about the way he was looking at me now.

"Bella, I want to. I want to kiss you so badly right now, but you look terrified. I thought, maybe, there was something between us. Didn't you feel something last night?" It was a fair question, but I couldn't make myself speak to answer. Here was a real chance to have the man of my dreams, literally, and yet I really was terrified. What if it didn't work out? I couldn't bear to lose him in my life.

"If I was wrong, I'm sorry. I'll go and let you calm down so you can watch your movie with the girls." He was almost whispering, like if he spoke too loudly, something fragile would break.

The smile started fading from his face, and he made a move to back away from me. Just that little bit of distance felt like a loss to me. My heart was pounding and I wanted to scream for him to hold me and swear that he would never let me go. Instead I said, in the same whispered voice he'd used, "wait," and I put my hand on his chest.

Now, it was his turn. His heart skipped a few beats as soon as I touched him. The smile returned to his face and just like last night, I could feel his heart begin beating erratically under my hand. He reached his other arm around my waist and started pulling me close to him.

"Can you feel that?" He asked, still whispering. "You make my heart go all crazy and I can hardly think straight. I've been waiting to do this for so long."

He what? He's been waiting for this? He wanted me like this, like I wanted him? It was too good to be true. But here he was, standing in front of me, whispering to me like I was something precious. I looked down from his eyes to his lips for just a moment before I couldn't take it any more.

I leaned up into his kiss just as he was leaning down to meet my lips.

I was not prepared for the sensation of his lips on mine. So strong; yet so soft. Just enough pressure to make my knees weak, but not forceful. His lips were caressing and patient. It was like these new parts of our bodies had to get to know each other. Then, just when I thought this sweet, gentle kiss was coming to an end, I felt his tongue lightly on the underside of my top lip. My head exploded. The fireworks and ringing bells you read about in paperback novels had nothing on what Edward was causing to happen inside me. I opened my mouth enough to allow the access he was silently asking for. He tasted absolutely amazing.

Our tongues went through the same getting-to-know-you motions that our lips had. They pushed and slid around each other with more and more urgency. I couldn't help the low moan that slid up from somewhere deep inside me. I'd be willing to swear that even though our mouths were very busy, I could feel Edward smile at the sound.

Edward's grip on my waist had tightened and he was holding me so close to him that I could feel, right about my lower stomach area, exactly how happy he was about our first kiss. Not that I had much room to talk. The hand I'd first laid on his chest had found its way up the back of his neck into his now dry hair. My other hand was clutching at his lower back, quite possibly leaving marks. I had my own proof of how much I was enjoying the kiss as I started to moisten in a very tender area.

After another span of time that seemed like an exquisite forever, our lips parted. Edward took a ragged breath and lightly kissed me once, and then again, before lifting his face away from mine. We were both in the same boat, out of breath and needing to lean on the counter. I'd been kissed before, and kissed well, or so I thought. But nothing had ever come close to this. No one else had this effect on me.

Standing there, not moving, I stared up at the wonderful man who had been my friend for the last two years. This was really happening. It started with a dance, and now with one kiss and everything really had changed. I knew it as sure as I knew my name. I looked into the eyes of the man who had just become the only one I wanted in my arms for the rest of my life.

**Edward POV**

Her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes.

She was looking up at me and I couldn't speak. I had never expected to feel this unraveled, this completely undone. Kissing those amazingly soft lips, tasting her sweet tongue, in my mouth, playing along while mine explored the newness of her, it was all so much more. More than I'd hoped for, more than I'd ever felt with anyone else.

I thought, for a moment, that I'd been wrong about how she felt. That doubt had hurt much deeper than I ever imagined, but it was gone now. I knew her faults and her graces, her likes and dislikes, how to make her smile, and how to make her blush. There might be better men out there, better kissers, with better bodies and more money. I knew that.

But I also knew, standing there holding my Bella, _my Bella_, soft and willing in my arms, that there would never be anyone else who could kiss her like I could. No one who could make her moan, soft and low, like I could. No one who would ever love her like I did.

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**~AN~**

**Teaser from Chapter 4:**

I made sure to take very deliberate breaths, and he smiled. "That's my girl, now where was I? Oh yes, kissing you properly." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I needed to taste him again, and my lips opened almost immediately. I imagine someday, maybe when we're 80 the sparks may stop flying and the bells may stop ringing, but for now, I got it all. The feeling of his body against mine and his kiss deepening just kept getting better.

**Reviews are like pretty little presents with shiny blue bows on top. They make me happy.**


	4. Guilty Pleasures and Phish Food

**~AN~**

**THANK YOU to all of you who've reviewed... reviews make me happy... I'm really glad you're liking the story so far...**

**Just another chapter or two and WE'RE OFF... galavanting 'cross country!! It's gonna be fun, I can't wait :-)**

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**Twilighted [dot] net ... http:// www. twilighted. net / forum / viewtopic. php?f= 44&t= 1868 (minus all the spaces, lol)**

**See ya there!!!**

* * *

**Bella POV**

"Mary Alice Cullen!" I screeched at my best friend as I walked into the living room. My legs were still a bit wobbly, but I was mobile, and determined to find out what started that whole episode in the kitchen. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if my life depended on it, but Alice had some questions to answer. "What was that 'kiss her before she does some real damage' all about? And what exactly was all that nodding and talking-between-the-lines you and Edward had going on?" Just saying his name out loud made me smile even wider.

"Who me? I didn't do a thing. Well, not much anyway. You did all the hard work yourself." She and Angela were huddled together on the couch giggling as I made my way across the room to sit by them. Alice's arms went around me and she gave me a squeeze. "_Well_…. What happened when we left the room?" She asked with an "I know exactly what happened" tone in her voice.

"Not a chance: you first. Why were you nodding and smiling like little devils at each other. What did I walk into today?" There was definitely something going on with those two.

"Oh, Bella, if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not sure that all your time in college was well spent, my dear, clueless friend." Alice was clearly enjoying herself. "You've been talking about Edward in your sleep for two years, honey. Just a little at first, but then more and more the last few months. I kept waiting for you to talk to me about it, but you never did. I just thought you were embarrassed or something, and since you were trying so hard to focus on your grades, I didn't press the issue. But you have been lusting after my hunky brother in vain long enough and I'm not ashamed to admit to setting you up just a little. You actually made it much, much easier on me than I'd hoped for: especially after that dance last night. You could have had Edward eating out of your hand after that, trust me. All he needed was a little nudge this morning and I wasn't sure you'd nudge. Luckily, all it took was a little bare chest and his undivided attention. That sandwich debacle was just enough to convince him that you were as frustrated without him as he was without you."

"What exactly did I say about Edward in my sleep?" The part that registered first was that I had been talking about Edward in my sleep, and that my little pixie of a roommate just kept it to herself. I was absolutely mortified. "And why, for God's sake didn't you say anything? Grades or no grades you should have at least _mentioned_ it. Or was it really bad?" Remembering the dream I'd had last night, I gasped. "_Oh, no, Alice, what did you hear_?" I was ready to crawl under the couch.

"Why, Bella, you're positively glowing red! What do you _think_ I heard? What in the world have you been thinking, or dreaming rather, about my big brother?" She questioned me with a completely false look of shock on her face. Something told me she knew exactly what I had been dreaming about.

That little snot! I couldn't even be upset, it's not like I could deny any "impure" thoughts. It was obvious I wanted Edward now. The cat had pretty much paraded out of the bag with a full marching band. Apparently she was fine with us being together or she would have certainly said something a long time ago. Edward and I: together. It was unbelievable. There was obviously some talking to be done, but I definitely got the "together" vibe back in the kitchen.

"Yeah, Bella, what _have_ you been dreaming about me?" Edward sauntered in.

Ok. Dying. Now.

He walked over and gently pulled me up off the couch. Wrapping his arms around me he looked over my shoulder at Alice, "that's enough teasing my girlfriend, Alice, you do that on your own time. Right now we're going to watch a movie. Besides, you have a time crunch today. So hit play and you three can finish this conversation later." Alice and Angela stifled giggles and proceeded to start the movie.

"Just remember, she was my best friend before she was your girlfriend, don't you two go forgetting that." Alice said pointedly to Edward, then glanced to me. I almost couldn't tell if she was joking or if she was really worried that I'd forget about her to spend time with Edward. Another conversation to have later.

Wait, "girlfriend?" I looked up at Edward with raised eyebrows. "Girlfriend?" I asked.

"Unless you have an objection, I think I've waited quite long enough for that privilege. Although, if you'd rather not…" He started to step back away from me and the loss of his body next to mine was as sharp now as it had been earlier in the kitchen. "Girlfriend is good. I like girlfriend." I said, pulling him back to me and wrapping my arms around his waist. Now _this _I could get used to.

Edward led me to the oversized comfy chair and cuddled me onto his lap. "Of course, if you'd like to tell _me_ what you dreamed, I'd love to hear it," he whispered softly as he nuzzled just under my ear. The hairs all over my body stood up on end and I got goose bumps the size of golf balls up and down my arms. His voice had a distinct sensuality to it, a primitive maleness that reached inside me and touched the desire for him that I'd kept tucked away for far too long.

With red still vibrant on my face, I glared at him, "Edward!" There was no way I could tell him the things I'd thought about, and hoped for. I would never make it through the first sentence. He leaned up just a bit, and ever so lightly kissed me softly on the lips, then smiled. "You don't have to tell me, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry. But, I've dreamed of being with you, my Bella, and I'm not ashamed of it."

**Edward POV**

Sleep-talking. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be a mind reader right now. Judging by the degree of redness on her face, Bella's dreams must have rivaled my own! That's my girl! One day she'll tell me. The thought of her saying, with those beautiful lips of hers, what we did in her dreams was enough to make me do a little necessary shifting in the seat under her. No need to go poking the girl twice in one day. Well, maybe… No. Today's working out better than I hoped: no need to screw it up by moving too fast.

I was going to have to buy Alice a very, very nice Christmas present this year. When I told her last night about our dance, and what I thought it meant for Bella and me, I was just looking for a little sisterly advice. What I got was a full blown plan of attack! Apparently I had been oblivious. As much as I had wanted her, I had no idea she felt the same. What a blind moron.

But she hadn't said anything, even to her best friend, so obviously she had her reasons for not pursuing a relationship. Hopefully it was just school obligations. Right now, I was perfectly content to be sitting here, watching a Jane Austen movie with my darling Bella curled up on my lap. I'm not sure life gets any better than this. Well, maybe if we were watching Die Hard.

"I'll call you when we're on our way back. You need to be getting out of the shower when we get there. She's gonna lose it when you come walking out all dripping and shirtless, just trust the sister on this one," Alice had instructed me this morning before she jetted off for another shopping spree with the girls. "And remember to wear the jeans with the frayed edges around the top, and no belt. She loves those on you. Apparently you have a spectacular backside." She'd giggled and batted her eyelashes at me. I'm not sure how I felt about my sister commenting on my ass, but if it was coming from Bella, I'd take her word for it.

When I came into the kitchen and Bella was standing at the pantry door, knowing that Alice was confident in her feelings for me, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to scoop her up and kiss her silly right then and there. I had quite a few reasons to believe she'd respond well, but this had to be her choice. I couldn't take being so far away from her, though. Standing so close to her, but not touching, was exhilarating. Like someone had enclosed us in a giant magnetic force field. Every part of me was reaching out to her.

My voice had depth and desire when I spoke, something I couldn't control. Pure desire. There was nothing I could do to mask it, and thank goodness it wasn't necessary. The reaction I got when she turned around was so worth it. I loved the way Bella looked at me. I loved that watching me could affect her like that. Alice was a genius. Working out a couple of times a week was habit for me, so I was aware of my physique, but I never imagined I'd get such a response from her by simply not wearing a shirt. Once I knew the advantage I had, there was no way I was going to let it go. No crowding, let her come to me, but I was definitely keeping the line of sight clear.

It was a battle for me to watch her flounder through the "sandwich making process." I hated seeing her so flustered, and obviously about to make a horrible mess of all our lunches, but the idea that I was causing her to be so distracted stroked my ego just a bit. She wanted me, I wanted her. Done and done.

There was that moment, though. That brief second when I thought maybe Alice and I were both reading the signals wrong. Bella just seemed to freeze up and retreat into herself for a minute. I could feel the distance in her and I was surprised at how badly it hurt. I had tried to prepare myself for the chance she wouldn't want to have a relationship with me, but facing that possibility when we were so close was much more disappointing than I had ever imagined it would be. Just goes to show I could be a blind moron about my own feelings as well. I'd have to work on that.

The joy I felt when she touched me, though, there are just no words. Every fear I had went out the window when she looked up at me with those welcoming eyes; eyes that said "home" to me. Eyes that I wanted to look into every morning and every night. Every night, damn, need to shift again.

Then it hit me. Every night only consisted of the next five. My little sprite of a sister was whisking my Bella away for the summer in just six days! Talk about bad timing. How could I let her leave me for two and a half months? There was no way I was going to be able to kiss her enough in the next week to last me through the summer.

I could flatten the Happy-Mobile's tires. No, that's not fair to everyone else. More importantly, they'd just buy more. I could tie my Bella up in my bedroom! Ok, time to shift again. No, dad would never allow that. But oh, the possibilities! No, not an option, Edward! I could go with them. If only I didn't have that awful workshop to attend. Funny, I'd looked forward to that for the last 3 months, and now I'd happily skip it. But that's not an option either. It took a lot of hard work to get accepted into the workshop, and it would be irresponsible to just bail out now. I'd go, no matter how much I'd rather be driving across the country, cooped up in an old minivan, with my lovely Bella and our friends for 10 weeks.

No sense in worrying about that just yet. We'll call, text, email, hmmmm… on the phone, at night, with my Bella: that had possibilities. Time to shift again. Right now, I just need to focus on this moment. Sitting here, holding my love, my Bella. The summer will come and we'll find a way make it work, together.

**Alice POV**

The movie ended and it was time for me to start getting ready for my audition. I had about 20 minutes to get ready, then about 20 minutes to make it over to Astoria. "Girls, you wanna help me get ready?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Bella responded, standing up from her cuddled up position on Edward's lap. I couldn't be happier for them. Knowing about Bella's secret interest in my brother, and Edward's not so secret interest in her, and trying to restrain myself from setting them up before now had gotten to be exhausting! Watching the two of them dance around each other, wanting to get close but not letting it happen, it was maddening. The relief I felt now was freeing, I could only imagine how they felt after all this time. They were absolutely adorable together.

"Let's get you sparkle-tacular," Angela added as the three, make that four, of us made our way back to my bedroom. I thought Edward was going to follow us all the way in, stuck like glue to the back of Bella, but he stopped at his bedroom door and gave her a little peck on the cheek before he sent her the rest of the way down the hall without him. How sweet.

You might think that three women + sparkly clothes = horribly late. Not so. I was dressed and properly glittered in no time flat. I loved this outfit. It was small and flashy and fun, just like me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not full of myself. I don't believe I'm better or more important than anyone else, but I choose to live my life with as much fun and sparkle as I can. I mean, why not?

Pulling up to the front of the Push Factor Dance Studio at five minutes to four o'clock. I started to have my first real attack of butterflies. I'd performed for so many people in school and almost never been nervous. I danced well, and I'd always had an incredible time onstage. Why in the world was one little audition making me feel like this?

Because this was the first time I'd be up against professionals instead of other students? Maybe. Training, experience and stage presence: those were the tools of dancers and I had just as good a chance as anyone else that was there today. My little "self pep talk" preceded the words of encouragement from my friends by mere seconds.

"You're going to be amazing, Alice, I just know it. Knock 'em dead sweetheart." Bella's belief in me was something I'd come to rely on. I was so lucky to have her in my corner. She gave me a little hug and hollered, "break a leg, hun," as I stepped out of the car. "She's right, Alice, you've got this wrapped up with a bow on it. Just go have fun in there." Angela said "break a leg," as I closed the door. Along with the kiss for luck from Jasper as we were leaving, and the well wishes from my parents and Edward, I was as ready as I was ever going to be. The girls were going to spend some quiet time at a local bookstore while I had my audition.

An hour and a half later I called for Bella and Angela to come pick me up. I was exhausted and emotionally drained. It was a mass audition, with group performances of standard pieces to start. Only if you made it past the first round did you get to perform a very short version of an individual piece. I made it into that second round, but not as soundly as I would have liked. Counting on my individual performance to be an ace-in-the-hole may have been a mistake, since I didn't know if the panelists saw enough of it to make the impression I was hoping for.

I was forced to admit the other dancers had intimidated me. The confidence and determination I started the audition with started to wane as incredible, seasoned performers took their turns before me. I was very much an amateur, regardless of my love for the art, and this was my first audition. It was strange, though. Even with all the doubts that had crept into my mind, I still had a good feeling about the outcome. It didn't make any logical sense, but I'd come to trust that inner voice. Optimism was a strong suite of mine, and now was no time to abandon it. Let's see if it would get me through until July when fall season company members were announced.

Right now, I was in the car, on my way back to my future husband. Mrs. Alice Whitlock. It sounded as natural to me as my birth name. We had talked about getting married for over a year now. More like "when we get married" than "if we get married." There was no doubt that it would happen. I was ready, more than ready to be his wife.

"How'd it go, baby?" Jasper asked me as Bella and I walked into the living room. We'd dropped Angela off at her and Ben's apartment on the way back. "You looked pooped."

"I worked my butt off: it was so much more stressful than I thought it would be." There was no sense trying to hide my anxiety about the audition from Jasper, he could always pick up little nuances in my behavior and personality and seemed to know exactly how I was feeling. "I think I did well enough to make it on the roster, I have a good feeling about it, but it was no cake walk."

"That just means you'll appreciate it more when you make company." Jasper reasoned. Of course he was right. I loved this man. I loved how he knew exactly what to say to make my world seem right.

Bella waved hello to Jasper, then, as I expected, headed straight to Edward's room. I couldn't blame her for wanting to spend every moment she could with him, I was the same way with Jasper. I just hoped we could find a happy medium with enough time for everyone. Our friendship was too important to me to allow the typical "after college drift" to affect us.

**Bella POV**

Alice seemed a little more concerned than I'd anticipated when we picked her up from the audition, but she said it had gone well, and that she thought she did good enough to make the company. I don't know: something about her just didn't feel right. She slipped back into "chipper Alice mode" almost immediately, so maybe it was nothing. We'd have to dish on the details during our "girl talk" later. So much had happened in the last 36 hours: I really needed to spend some quality gossip time with my best friend, two spoons and a pint of Phish Food. But right now, I wanted to spend some time with my new boyfriend.

Alice went to join Jasper as soon as we got back to the Cullen's. I went to find Edward. He was in his room. When I knocked on the door, it opened slightly and he looked up at me from his desk. That smile. That smile was for me and it made my insides jelly.

He came to the door, took my hand and pulled me into his room. As the door closed behind me, he pressed me between it, and his body. I gasped at the surprise of the movement and the sheer joy of being in that position. That gasp was the last breath I took for a few seconds, before Edward felt the need to intervene.

"Breath, my lovely Bella," Edward whispered into my ear. He lightly rubbed his cheek against mine and then started planting tiny little kisses along my jawbone, just under my ear and down my neck.

"You're not helping my breathing, Edward." I could barely make out the one complete sentence before he started kissing his way back up my neck on the other side. I reached my hands up to his waist, then circled them around his back to hold him to me.

As he reached my other ear he softly said, "I missed you this afternoon and I would really love to kiss you right now. If you want me to kiss you properly, you have to keep breathing. There'll be no passing out on my watch, Miss Swan."

I made sure to take very deliberate breaths, and he smiled. "That's my girl, now where was I? Oh yes, kissing you properly." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I needed to taste him again, and my lips opened almost immediately. I imagine someday, maybe when we're 80 the sparks may stop flying and the bells may stop ringing, but for now, I got it all. The feeling of his body against mine and his kiss deepening just kept getting better. His hands, both of which had started out on my hips, had slowly found their way up my sides, my neck and ended up gently cradling my face. "I intend to make a habit of that." He said softly as he pulled away.

"I intend to hold you to that." I replied.

He smiled as he turned and reached up to his impressive music collection something for us to listen to. I couldn't help but notice him pass over some of his favorite classical and instrumental discs to pick a slow jazz CD that I had gotten for him for his birthday. I loved jazz, and luckily so did Edward.

"Do you remember giving me this?" Edward asked as he hit play on the stereo and sat down in the love seat at the end of his bed.

"Of course I do, silly, it was your birthday present. I'm glad you decided to play it now, I really like it, too." I said as I joined him. The love seat was comfy and deep and felt like sitting on a pile of pillows. Edward's arm wrapped around me and pulled me close to him. It felt like a dream to me: a very nice, very happy dream. I snuggled in closer and started to hum along with the music.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to fall into a comfortable place with him. This level of relationship didn't seem so foreign once we got back into the old groove we already had as friends. We smiled and joked with each other just like we always had, just with a little more linger in the looks and a little more innuendo in the jokes. I loved having Alice around, but I was enjoying having a conversation just with Edward. The more we talked, the more I _wanted_ to talk to him.

"Ok, so you like jazz, you like some dance music, what's your musical guilty pleasure?" Edward asked. He was giving me a very suggestive look, one that implied he was thinking of something other than music when he said the words "guilty pleasures."

"I'm not sure I have one, I have exceptional taste in music." I replied smugly, trying not to let the innuendo make me blush too much.

"Oh, come on, everyone's got something in their CD cabinet, hidden in the back behind everything else, something they only pull out when they're all alone. Fess up." Edward was determined. Thinking about my music collection, I suppose I did have one thing that I wouldn't necessarily pop in during a party.

"Miley Cyrus," I replied, refusing to look ashamed. "I think she's fun, and I love the energy in her music. I actually like a lot of her songs. Now what's yours, music man?"

To his credit, he didn't mock me, instead he pondered for a minute, looking up to the wall of CD's. A hint of red started creeping into his cheeks as he stood and went to the top shelf of the display. "Disney movie soundtracks," he said as he pulled down a disc and handed it to me. It was the soundtrack for a musical called Newsies. "I know every word and can play every note: I love the songs and the movie."

He came back to sit next to me. As I looked at the disc he handed me I screeched, "This has Christian Bale in it! Do you have this movie? We have to watch this!" I didn't care if I sounded like a little schoolgirl, if I could watch a movie with Christian Bale in it, snuggled up to Edward, my heart (and other parts of me) would be doing cartwheels!

"Another time my dear. You seem a little too excited about Christian Bale. Maybe I should have shown you the soundtrack for Hercules first, at least he's animated and you might not have gotten so riled up. I'd like all your attention on me right now."

He took the CD away and set it on the table next to the loveseat. Edward wrapped his arms around me and stretched his legs out so that we were practically horizontal, with one of his legs on each side of me. It was like I was in an Edward cocoon. The wave of comfort and security that I felt being wrapped up in his body was quickly wiped aside in a current of sheer lust. Here was _my_ Edward, laying here under me, and I could do _anything I wanted _to him.

I turned and leaned against the back of loveseat so that I didn't need my hands for support, hands that found their way under the bottom of Edward's shirt. As soon as my skin touched his I felt his muscles tense, then relax. I looked at his face and he was just staring at the lumps in his shirt where my hands were.

"All my attention, huh?" My hands started sliding slowly up his stomach, taking his shirt with them. I heard him take in a deep breath as I reached his chest, and felt his entire body tremble as I started to lightly run my nails back down to his waistband. His eyes were now closed and he was taking shallow breaths through barely opened lips. This was gonna be fun. I scooted down just a little so I could start with the tender skin just above his belly button, and proceeded to slowly kiss my way up the middle of his abdomen and chest.

When my lips reached where his shirt had bunched up under his chin I looked up, I was not prepared for the intense look on his face. Nor was I prepared for him reaching up to the back of the loveseat and hoisting the two of us up and over, putting our heads on the other end of the seat, and him on top of me. Not a bad turn of events if I do say so myself.

"Edward what…" His lips crashed into mine before I could finish my question. The intensity I had seen in his eyes was spreading through his body. Intense lips moving with mine, intense tongue claiming my mouth and intense hands sliding up my sides. Somehow in our flip he managed to put himself between my legs, and intensity was flowing between our bodies in every place they pressed together. I wanted him more in that moment than I had wanted anyone, ever, in my life. "Wow," I managed to say in a whisper as we broke apart for a breath, "Edward, we're two feet away from the bed, just a little slide over the back of this seat and we can continue this with a little more room to move." He had the audacity to giggle as he leaned back down to kiss me again.

"Oh my lovely Bella, trust me, I am well aware of how close I am to getting you into my bed." He said as he lifted his head. That was a double entendre if there ever was one. Did he know I was ready to race him to the pillows? Was he really trying to get me into his bed? It hadn't occurred to me that it might be his goal for the evening until now. "The problem with that," he said as he slid down some and lifted the bottom of my shirt with his teeth, "is," he continued as he kissed the matching tender spot above my belly button, "that if I have you in my bed tonight," another kiss, and another, up the middle of my stomach, "I might not be able to let you leave."

He kissed right up to the bottom of my bra and lifted his head to look at me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He moved my shirt up just a bit more and I started wishing I'd spent more time deciding which bra I'd put on this morning. Apparently the old pink lace was ok with him. He grinned at me with his eyes shining a deep, dark green. I could feel his warm hands on back, just under my shoulder blades, as he lifted my chest up just a little so he could lick the narrow space between my breasts.

Oh. My. God.

"Mmmmm, delicious. Better than I imagined." Edward said with a devilish smile as he pulled my shirt back down.

My breathing stopped along about the time he lifted me to him, that changed when I gasped half the air in the room down at the feel of his tongue on my chest. The warmth that had started between my legs at the nearness of Edward had turned into a gush of moisture as he kissed me again. I couldn't get enough of him. I wanted to keep kissing him forever. He used just enough pressure to guide my lips and tongue where he wanted them to be, but not enough to keep me from doing my own exploration of his mouth. I loved the taste of him, sweet and spicy at the same time. How he managed that, I don't know, but it was my new favorite flavor.

"We need to get upright or this is going to get much harder than it already is." Edward said. I couldn't help but giggle considering what I felt pressing into my middle, could he really get harder? Wouldn't I like to know? "No you don't young lady: I see that look in your eyes. I spent all afternoon thinking about the things I'd like to do to you, but I kept coming back to the same problem." He sat up and pulled me up with him. I couldn't help but feel disappointed as he explained what his "problem" was.

"You're going to be leaving in six days to go traipsing across the country, and I'm going to be here, without you. There's no way I'm going to be able to stand it if I know for sure what you feel like under me, in my bed, moaning my name." Edward's words were low and deliberate as he whispered directly into my ear. I swear my heart was pounding out of my chest and my whole body shook as my mind visualized what he said. He moved his head away from me just a little so he could look me in the eye. "My ego and I would like to think you'd be just as miserable without me, so I think our best bet is to wait until you get back. It's excruciating considering how badly I want you right now, but it's the lesser of the two evils."

I knew he was right. My brain knew it would be better this way, but my body was screaming "I WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH EDWARD." Loudly. It took every ounce of strength I had to remove my hands from his chest. "You're right, of course you're right, but I don't have to like it." I pouted. "But I plan on kissing you as often as possible between now and then, so just be prepared."

"I plan on doing more than kissing you, every chance I get, but luckily we both have things to do to keep ourselves occupied. Besides, we can spend time, enjoying each other's company, without jumping each other's bones. We've done it for two years, we still have that ability." He pointed out.

"Maybe you're right, but I feel like we have a lot of time to make up for, Mr. Cullen." I reached up and laid my hand on his cheek. This beautiful man, my Edward, yes, we had a lot of time to make up for. And if I had my way, we'd have the rest of our lives to do just that.

The knock on the door made me jump and Edward reached out to keep me from falling off the front of the loveseat. As he pulled me back up onto his lap, he hollered "come in" to the person in the hallway. The door swung open and a very confused looking Carlisle Cullen peered in. A smile started to roll onto his lips as the realization of what Edward and I had become dawned on him.

"Bella, dear, I was on my way to talk to Edward when Alice asked, since this is where I'd find you, if I would send you out to her in the living room. I think she wants to get back to your dorm and finish getting packed so she can come back here to Jasper before it gets too late. Why don't you go find her? It appears Edward and I have more things to discuss than I originally thought." The tone in his voice was definitely commanding, but it was fatherly and gentle as well. His smile just got wider as Edward tilted my face around to him and chastely kissed my lips.

"Do you want me to walk you out?" He asked.

"No, it's OK. I'll go fetch Alice and we'll head out. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." Edward stood with me and walked me to his bedroom door. Carlisle stood aside and waited as he kissed me sweetly one last time. He really was going to kiss me every chance he got. Goodie.

"Goodnight, Edward. Goodnight, Carlisle." I walked down the hall and heard Edward's door close behind me.

Alice was waiting for me in the living room. She kissed Jasper goodbye saying she'd be back later, and put her arm through mine. "We have some girl-talking to do tonight, don't we, Bella?" It was more of a statement than a question, because she knew I was ready to explode with the developments of the last two days. I imagined Alice was in the same boat, between the audition and what she may have found out about Jasper's plans.

"I can hear the Phish Food calling from here." I laughed as Jasper locked the door behind us. Yeah, some good old fashioned girl-talk is just what we needed.


End file.
